Online safety must ensure women's freedom

The information that has come out in the media cafe discussion titled ‘Online Freedom for All’ does not give us any relief, rather more concerns. In the discussion organised by Kishor Alo, Prothom Alo and Plan International Bangladesh last Saturday, the speakers have emphasised on making online safe for all.

A survey published by Plan International last year on the freedom of girls online found that some 53 per cent women were victims of online violence. But their survey this year has revealed aggravated information. Nine out of ten women, who took part in the survey, said they had been victims of violence and that their lives had been affected somehow due to misinformation and rumours. Some 26 per cent said they do not feel safe to say anything online, which indicates that these victims feel safe to stay away from online activities.

According to a survey by non-governmental organisation Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), more than 36 per cent of the girls have been sexually harassed by their friends online. Apart from that, some 27 per cent of the girls have been sexually harassed by known adults and relatives and some 18 per cent unknown adult persons. As our dependence on online activities increased due to the pandemic, so is the harassment of women.

The government has enacted several laws to prevent cybercrime. Despite strong objections from the media stakeholders the government has enacted the Digital Security Act to curb cybercrime. But there are allegations that this law is being used more for political gains rather than to curb cybercrime.

Again, not all the incidents of online violence against women are reported. The special branch of police launched a webpage named ‘Cyber Support for Women’. So far some 17,770 women have lodged complaints through this webpage. More worrying, most of the women, who are victims of online violence, do not complain at all or they do not get the support from the parents. As a result, serious incidents like suicide also take place.

We want the proper implementation of law to prevent violence against women online. It is the liability of the government to ensure that no one is spared after committing a cybercrime. At the same time, the guardians also need to be aware about this as well. They should keep an eye on their children’s online activity, regardless of gender. Everyone should abide by the instructions given to prevent cybercrime. A strong password should be used for Facebook or any other online account, so that no one can hack their account.